Former leading New Zealand publisher and bookseller, and widely experienced judge of both the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Montana New Zealand Book Awards, talks about what he is currently reading, what impresses him and what doesn't, along with chat about the international English language book scene, and links to sites of interest to booklovers.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Academics explore the world’s great ideas

A podcast series
produced by Victoria University of Wellington’s Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences and national broadcaster RNZ is looking at the role some of the
world’s most revolutionary ideas have played in history and modern society.

Called Great Ideas, the
series of six podcasts covers the American, French and Russian revolutions, the
origins of democracy, Darwin and the theory of natural selection, the
Protestant Reformation, revolution’s impact on art, fashion and literature, and
the world of languages.

“This podcast series
showcases the importance of the humanities and social sciences in understanding
how certain ideas have shaped the world we live in, and why they remain
critical today,” says Associate Dean (Teaching and Equity) in Victoria’s
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr Anita Brady.

The podcast series is
inspired by the Victoria course Great Ideas. The course is offered online, or
as a mix of online and face-to-face delivery, and has students look critically
at some of the most exciting, important and revolutionary ideas in society and
culture, and considers their ongoing influence.

“We realised that this
discussion would prove interesting for a wider audience, so we contacted RNZ
and suggested we collaborate on a series of panel discussions focusing on the
course’s central ideas,” says Dr Brady.

“RNZ was enthusiastic
and proposed Megan Whelan as a host for the series. RNZ recorded six episodes,
each one featuring Megan and three academics in a discussion about one ‘Great
Idea’ approached from a variety of perspectives.

“The result is a
fascinating and lively listen that provides a broad overview of some of
history’s most significant ideas from some of Victoria’s leading academics.”